HTML Display Components

If you are designing forms, you will use the HTML components described
in this section. To create a form, you can use the Identity Manager Form XML
language (also called forms), to describe HTML display
components. This language is then interpreted at runtime to build the necessary
components. It allows new pages to be dynamically generated with little or
no additional Java development, which greatly simplifies customization.

What Are HTML Components?

HTML display components are instances of Java classes that generate
a string of HTML text. Each display component has:

A class name (defined in the field by
the class attribute of the Display element). This name
identifies the component class, which determines the component’s fundamental
behavior and defines the set of properties recognized by the component.

One or more properties (defined in the
field with Property elements). Properties further define
field behavior and appearance.

Specifying Display Components

Page Processor Requirements for HTML Components

Forms that implement HTML components have the following page processor
requirements.

Hidden Parameters

Most components have a name that corresponds to the name of a parameter
posted from an HTML form. Identity Manager reserves a few parameter names for
general use. Do not use these names as component names.

Table 7–1 Hidden Parameters

Reserved Name

Description

id

Contains the ID of the object being edited

command

Contains the value of the button used to submit the form

activeControl

Contains the name of the last component that was active on the form

message

Can contain an informational message to be displayed at the top of the
page